The City of Brotherly Love

I had a pharmaceutical conference for work in Philadelphia last Monday and Tuesday. I decided to take an early train to Philly on Sunday morning so I could take advantage of a day in Philadelphia since I had never been there before.

This was the cute little Starbucks I stopped at in the morning.

The Liberty Bell.

In the 1790s, when Philadelphia was the temporary capital of the United States, this was the site of the executive offices and the residence of the first two presidents, George Washington and John Adams.

Independence Hall. This is where both the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were signed.

This is the old courthouse in Philadelphia. The judges sat in the front of the room, the prosecution and defense lawyers sat together at the round table, and the accused stood in the cage.

The room where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were signed. The furniture is all original. Ben Franklin sat in the chair by the end of the table.

They are unsure if this is exactly how the room was set up. They have set it up to the best of their knowledge based on historical documents.

This is the courtyard where John Nixon read the Declaration to the public for the first time on July 8, 1776.

Carpenter's Hall. In 1774, the First Continental Congress met here, and this building also served as home for the Library Company of Philadelphia and as a meeting place for groups including the American Philosophical Society.

Franklin Court. This is the outline of Ben Franklin's house as his home was torn down in the early 1800s.

Standing in Ben Franklin's house.

Mr. Franklin.

The first bank of the United States. Secretary Alexander Hamilton was the force behind the creation of the First Bank of the U.S. The bank paid off the Revolutionary War debt and guided the new United States through unstable financial times. This building was built in 1795.

Betsy Ross house.

This was Betsy's bedroom. She did most of her sewing of the flags in her bedroom so she would not be seen by the British troops.

Elfreth's Alley. This is the oldest residential street in America.

Christ Church. Founded in 1695, this is where many of America's leaders worshiped.

I am sitting in George and Martha Washington's pew.

At the end of the day I did a 90-minute double decker bus tour. It was so cold, but I really wanted to sit on top.

Downtown Philly.

Philadelphia skyline.

I did not get off the bus here, but I really wanted to run up these stairs like Rocky!

It was a good day, but I feel like I need another couple of days in Philadelphia to see everything I missed.